Fauna
Plant

Mount Tabor Oak

Quercus ithaburensis

Also known as Valonia Oak, Vallonea Oak, Tabor Oak

Mount Tabor oak forms open, savannah-like parklands across the eastern Mediterranean hills, serving as a keystone canopy species adapted to hot, dry summers and limestone soils. Its massive acorns rest in distinctive woody cups covered with elongated, spreading scales, which historically provided valuable tannins for leather tanning. The tree drops its leathery, serrated leaves late in autumn or winter, creating rich leaf litter that shelters Mediterranean invertebrates and nourishes understory herbs.

DeciduousDrought-TolerantMediterranean
Mount Tabor Oak reference1 / 7
(c) Grzegorz Grzejszczak, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyPhotoautotrophic
Predators
  • Eurasian Jay
  • Wild Boar
  • Crested Porcupine
ThreatsOvergrazing, agricultural expansion, and habitat fragmentation
HabitatsMediterranean woodlands, semi-arid parklands, and limestone hills
Life span200–500 years
Classification
  1. FamilyFagaceae
  2. SpeciesQuercus ithaburensis
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskHigh
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is high
Acorns and leaves contain concentrated tannins toxic to dogs and livestock if eaten in quantity.
Why it is dangerous
Leaves and acorns contain high levels of gallotannins, which cause gastrointestinal upset and kidney damage in dogs, horses, and cattle.
How to recognize a risky encounter
Look for large acorns held in deep cups with reflexed, recurved woody scales, and shallowly lobed, bristly leaves.
What to do
Keep pets and grazing livestock from chewing on fallen acorns, twigs, or wilted leaves.
Responsible observation
  • Acorn Observation: Examine the cup scales in autumn to easily tell it apart from other oaks.
  • Canopy Care: Avoid compacting root zones around mature specimens in parklands.
Related species
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